Villino Florio is a private residence designed in an eclectic

art nouveau Art Nouveau (; ) is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. The style is known by different names in different languages: in German, in Italian, in Catalan, and also known as the Modern ...

(''Liberty'') style by

Ernesto Basile Ernesto Basile (31 January 1857 – 26 August 1932, in Palermo) was an Italian architect and an exponent of modernisme and Liberty style, the Italian variant of Art Nouveau. His style was known for its eclectic fusion of ancient, medieval and m ...

, and located on Viale Regina Margherita #38 in the city of

Palermo Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan ...

, Siciy, Italy.

History

The structure was commissioned by the scion of the wealthy Florio family,

Ignazio Florio Jr Ignazio () is a masculine Italian given name. Notable people with the name include: Arts *Ignazio Collino (1736–1793), Italian sculptor *Ignazio Fresu (born 1957), Italian sculptor *Ignazio Gardella (1905–1999), Italian architect and designer ...

, also owners of the hotel refurbished by Basile,

Villa Igiea Villa Igiea is a neogothic former residence, now a luxury hotel maintaining some of the art nouveau (''Liberty'') refurbishment completed at the dawn of the 20th-century; the hotel sits on a high outcrop overlooking the sea at Porto dell'Acquasant ...

. Construction was pursued between 1899 and 1902. The exterior incorporates architectural element from various traditions, including

neogothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

turrets. The house has a novel interpretation of dual entry staircases common in Sicilian architecture. The house fell into disuse after a fire in 1962 damaged some of the interiors. A recent restoration has allowed visitors to see the interiors.Comune of Palermo
tourism site.

References

{{coord missing, Italy Buildings and structures in Palermo Art Nouveau architecture in Italy